Tris is supposed to be only six here, but in order to get the effect I wanted, I made her sound older.
just so you know :) I don't own Divergent
I bite down on my lip, willing this whole thing to be done. I know that in Abnegation, you're supposed to attend all funerals, but the spring sunlight and dewy grass makes me feel more bored and tired than ever.
The woman who died was an Abnegation leader, and was killed while delivering her second child. I would know more, but I'm not allowed to ask questions that only concern me and my growing curiosity.
I clutch my mother's slim hand, and she smiles down on me. Caleb is watching an old man bury the casket, an unidentified fire in his eyes. Like he's being eaten away at the inside by grief.
I frown, and Caleb does too. This must be the lady's husband. Right behind him, is a boy that doesn't seem much older than me; he stands with tears dribbling down his cheeks, and a woman rubbing his back.
They look nothing alike, and the woman only seems to have pity in her instead of sorrow, so I can only assume she is a random passerby, here because it is mandatory and it is the selfless thing to do.
Abnegation are the type of people who reserve physical contact for sad, gloomy days when you need it the most. I turn away from the crying boy, and watch as some crows flit through a cluster of trees.
Their black feathers glint in the light, and one lets out a caw, breaking the silence and the somber mood. My father rustles a little out of the corner of my eye.
Line break
After the ceremony, my family, as did all of the others, volunteer to help clean up the mess left behind.
Being only six, I am allowed to go off on my own, but there is only so many things to do in a graveyard. I plop myself down on the wet grass, gracefully smushing a dandelion in the process.
Caleb has run off with Susan. They are best friends.
I'm watching a ladybug nestle in a blade of grass when the crying boy comes up to me. When he doesn't have a red nose or wet cheeks, he's actually rather handsome. My face feels hot, so I pretend to be immersed in the little ladybug.
It has four spots, I notice. There's this little bump on it's left wing that looks painful. Like a welt. That's silly, though. Ladybugs don't get welts.
The boy clears his throat awkwardly, and I have no choice but to look up now. His eyes are a peculiar shade of dark blue- like the morning sky behind him. He licks his lips, and I see that they are chapped.
"I'm Tobias," he says. His voice is so low and rough I barely hear it. I gulp a little and wonder if I must tell him mine now. If my mother were here, she would nudge me slightly until I responded.
But she's not, so I stay quiet. I am aware of how rude I am, but Tobias scares me. I don't know why, but something about him makes me feel like I am melting, melting into the dirt below me and flooding the ladybug out of it's small home until it flies away.
Seeing that I do not intend to respond, he says, "You know, my mother just died. You could be a little nicer." His snarky comeback surprises me, because Abnegation discourages sarcasm.
I wouldn't understand how he got over his mother's death so quickly either, so I just nod a little and mutter out my name. I doubt he heard it, but when I see the start of a smile on his face, I know he did.
When he grins, his eyes turn a shade lighter and I can't help but stare. The rings around his irises seem to glow, and the black in his pupils are so dark they reflect my plain, curious face.
Once I stop staring, I realize I've been looking for much too long, and the heat begins to fill my face again. I look for the ladybug, but it has moved on. I hear the sound of a twig snap, and my head jerks up, shaken by the sudden noise.
It's Tobias, and he's holding out a dandelion, bright yellow with brown tips. I was wrong. The sound I heard was him picking a flower, presumably for me. It's no use now, and the blush on my cheeks must be so vivid that I resemble a tomato.
I accept the flower quickly, and tuck it behind my ear. There. Easy enough. "Thank you," I whisper, and Tobias nods a little. If I looked up more, maybe I would of seen his matching blush.
I'm trying to think of a way to return his favor when I see Caleb running towards me from across the field. I don't want to leave, not now, when I've possibly made the first friend I have ever made, but I have no choice.
Tobias seems to think this too, and grabs my wrist when I get up. "Would you guys like to come over for dinner?" His voice sounds casual, and a whole lot clearer than before.
I nod, but I manage a "Yeah," before I run off to my brother. I smile, my hair whipping the sides of my face, hand secure around the dandelion in it.
I can't wait to tell Caleb where we are having dinner tonight.